Type levers having type heads molded thereon



E. V. BYERS v TYPE LEVERS HAVING TYPE HEADS MOLDED THEREON Original Filed Feb. 21. 1961 Jan. 17, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Edward E. v. BYERS 3,298,493

TYI E LEVERS HAVING TYPE HEADS MOLDED THEREON Jan. 17, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Feb. 21. 1961 United States Patent M 3,298,493 TYPE LEVERS HAVING TYPE HEADS MOLDED THEREON Edward Victor Byers, 16 Barrack Lane, The Park,

' Nottingham, England Original application Feb. 21, 1961, Ser. No. 90,851, now Patent No. 3,232,576, dated Feb. 1, 1966. Divided and this application Oct. 4, 1965, Ser. No. 492,55 Claims. (Cl. 197-36) 7 This application is a division of my co-pending application Serial No. 90,851, filed February 21, 1961, entitled, Improvements in the Type Levers of Typewriters and Apparatus for Producing the Same, now Patent No. 3,232,576.

This invention relates to improvements in the typelever of typewriters. The type-levers of typewriters are pivoted on a type-lever segment and as herebefore made comprise a bar which has one end pivoted on the typelever segment while its other end has a block secured thereto on which the raised characters are formed. The end of the bar which carries the type block is set at an angle to the remainder of the bar so that the type block is in the correct position to make an impression when it strikes the platen of. the machine. As the pivotal points of the type-levers are disposed on the arc of a circle it will be seen that the amount of set required for the free end of the bar will depend on its position on the typelever segment. The ends of the bars are set and the type blocks secured thereto before the type-levers are assembled on the type-lever segment and when the typelever segment is in position in a typewriter, the typelevers frequently need to be adjusted in order that correct alignment. of the impressions is obtained, and this operation maytake some time. The object of the present invention is to provide type-levers which when mounted in their correct positions on the type-lever segment require no subsequent adjustment to provide correct alignment of the impressions produced when the type-lever segment is in position inatypewriter. 7

According to this invention the type-levers comprise straight bars having a hole at one end to receive the pivot pin and characters which are formed on a part which is cast or molded on the other end ofthe bar, the set required for the end of the type-lever being formed in the said cast or molded part. To produce the type-levers the bars are held in a frame which is placed in position on one part of a twopart mold, the other part of the mold having cavities therein of the correct shape "for the cast or molded part of the type-levers and when the two parts of the mold are placed together, the ends of the bars are accurately positioned in the. cavities. Type metal or a suitable plastic is then fed into the cavities to form the cast or molded part on the ends of the bars. When the cast or molded parts are formed, the two parts of the mold are divided. Provision may be made to disengage the cast or molded parts from their cavities when the two parts of the mold are separated.

The invention will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation partly broken away of the mold for producing a plurality of type-levers at the same time.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional side elevation on the line XX of FIGURE 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIGURE 3 is a plan of the mold.

FIGURE 4 is an elevation of the rear side of the front part of the mold.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional side elevation.

Patented Jan. 17, 1967 FIGURE 6 is a plan of part of the mold showing alternative means for pressing the molded heads of the type levers out of the cavities which mold them.

FIGURE 7 is a side elevation of a type-lever.

FIGURE 8 is a front elevation of one of the type-levers showing the set required for the head formed in the molded head.

. FIGURE 9 is a side elevation of the bar to which the heads are molded to complete the-type-levers.

Like numerals indicate like parts throughout the drawings.

. The type-levers are formed from bars 1 (see FIGURE 9 which may conveniently be stamped from sheet metal, the bars 1 for the different charactersbeing identical in shape. They are provided with a hole 2 at one end through which the pivot pin passes when the completed type-levers are assembled on the type-lever segment. The other end of the bars are formed with a hole '3 therein or otherwise suitably shaped to form a lock or key to hold the cast or molded part 4 (see FIGURE 8) in position on the end of the bar 1. Type metal or a suitable plastic is used for the cast or molded part 4 and the characters 5 are formed on one edge of the cast or molded part 4. Any set required to bring the characters into the correct position at the point of impact with the platen, the amount of set depending on the position of the type-levers in the type-lever segment, is formed in the cast or molded part 4 as shown in FIGURE 8; the cast part 4 including a first portion 4 substantially aligned with and secured to the bar 1, and a second portion 4" angularly disposed with respect to the first portion 4'. It will, therefore, be seen that if the cavitieswhich form the molded part 4 are of the correct shape and size and the ends of the bars 1 are correctly positioned relatively to the cavities, then the completed type-lever will not require any subsequent adujstment.

In orderto produce the type-levers a mold is provided. This is formed in two parts. The front part 6 comprises a plate and on the back of the plate are guides 7 to hold a frame 8 shown more clearly in FIGURE 4 in a predeterminedposition. The frame 8 is arranged to hold a plurality of the bars 1 in alignment parallel with each other. For this purpose the frame 8 is provided with a plurality of slots 9 each slot adapted to hold a bar, the bars being held in position by a pin 10 (see FIGURE 4) which.

passes through the pivot pin holes 2 in the bars 1. The bars I hang vertically downwards from the pin 10 and in line with each other.

The back 11 of the mold is provided with a guide bar 12 (see FIGURE 2) which is provided with the same number of grooves 13 therein as there are slots 9 in the frame 8 andwhen the two parts of the mold are put together the bars 1 pass into the grooves 13 in the guide bar 12 as shown in broken lines in FIGURE 2 and are further positioned thereby. Below each of the grooves 13 is a cavity 14 of the appropriate shape for the cast or molded part to be formed on the bars 1. The cavities 14 are open at the top to the lower ends of the grooves 13 and the fronts of the cavities are closed by the front part 6 of the mold when the two parts 6 and 11 are placed together as shown in FIGURE 2. When the two parts of the mold are placed together the bars 1 pass into the grooves 13 in the guide bar 12 and the lower ends of the bars 1 are held centrally in the upper ends of the cavities 14 as indicated in broken lines in FIGURE 2. A presser bar 15 is provided on the front part 6 of the mold and this presser bar 15 holds the bars 1 up to the bottom of the grooves 13 in the guide bar 12 to further position the lower ends of the bars 1 in the cavities 14.

The front part 6 of the mold is slidably mounted on rods 16, 17 so that it can be moved towards or away from 3 the back part 11 of the mold and the front part is further held in its correct position relatively to the back part, when the two parts are placed together, by dowel pins 18, 19.

The lower ends of the cavities 14 are connected to a runner channel in the back part of the mold, the runner channel 20 being connected to a supply passage 21 for the moltenmolding metal or plastic.

The characters 5 for the type levers are cut in the back of the front part 6 of the mold and produce raised characters on the molded parts 4 when these are formed,

When the bars 1 have been mounted in the frame 8, the latter is placed in position on the front part 6 of the mold as shown in FIGURE 4. The two parts of the mold are then placed together and molten metal or plastic forced into the cavities 14 in any suitable manner. When the metal or plastic has set the two parts of the mold are separated. The front part 6 of the mold carries a taper peg 22 centrally disposed of the supply passage 21 previously mentioned, and when the front part of the mold 6 is separated from the other part 11 this taper peg 22 withdraws the runner from the supply passage. Additional means are provided to press the runner off the taper peg 22 after the front part 6 of the'mold has moved a predetermined distance from the other part.

For this purpose the front part 6 of the mold carries a block 23 slidingly mounted on studs 24 and the block 23 carries rods 25 which press on the runner when the block is moved in the appropriate direction and disengages the runner from the peg 22.

The back part 11 of the mold may also carry a spring loaded bar 26 (see FIGURE 2) which engages with the edges of the bars 1 above the guide bar 12. When the two parts of the mold are separated the spring loaded bar 26 exerts pressure on the edges of the bars 1 and presses the molded parts 4 of the type-levers out of the cavities 14. On further movement of the front part 6 of the mold away from the other part 11, the runner is disengaged from the taper peg 22 and the frame 8 can be removed from the front part 6 of the mold for removal of the bars therefrom. Other bars are then mounted in the frame and the operation described repeated. Alternative means for moving the molded parts 4 from the cavities 14 are shown in FIGURES 5 and 6 and comprise a bar 27 pivoted at 28 at one end, and in a similar manner at the other end to the back part 11 of the mold. The bar 27 extends down to just above the guide bar 12 as shown in FIGURE 5 and is turned about its pivot 28 to press on the bars 1 and press the molded heads 4 formed on the bars 1 out of the cavities 14. In order to turn the bar 27 about its pivots a detent 29 is provided on the front part of the mold 6 to engage behind the bar 27 as shown in FIGURE 6 to draw the lower end of the bar 27 forward to press on the bars 1 when the front part 6 is drawn away from the back part 11 after molding the heads on the bars 1. Any suitable clamping means may be provided to hold the two parts of the mold together while the molding operation is being carried out.

Although only a preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that minor variations may be made within the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A series of type-levers for a typewriter; each of said type-levers comprising a substantially identical straight type bar, a molded head on each said bar having a first portion and a second portion, and a set in each molded head between said-first and second portions defining varying angular relationships between said first and second portions of different levers to correctly position characters when striking the platen of a typewriter according to the pivotal position of the type-lever in the type-lever segment of a typewriter.

2. The series of type-levers as set forth in claim 1 wherein the set of each head is at an opposite-end of the head from that which is molded to an associated bar.

3; A series of type-levers for a typewriter according to claim 1, in which the end of each bar on which an associated head is molded is shaped to provide a lock between the bar and the head.

4. The series of type-levers as set forth in claim 1 wherein the heads are molded on to associated bars in permanently secured relation.

5. The series of type-levers as set forth in claim 1 References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 312,113 2/1885 Garrison 197-36 X 394,107 12/1888 Estabrook 18-36 582,801 5/1897 Wirsching 18-36 1,189,522 4/1916 Anderson 197-36 1,512,310 10/1924 Resch 197-35 X 1,536,288 5/1925 Freedland'er et al. 249- X 2,120,502 6/1938 Morton 18-36 2,193,342 3/1940 Price 249-85 X 2,256,769 9/1941 Amrine 18-36 2,425,832 8/1947 Lubbert et al. 18-36 2,500,546 3/1950 Judisch 249-97 2,579,951 12/1951 Morin et a1. 18-36 X 2,592,296 4/1952 Kutik 18-36 X 2,604,661 7/1952 Karns 18-36 2,720,003 10/ 1955 Harris et al. 18-36 2,855,630 10/1958 Veley 18-36 X 2,891,649 6/1959 Peterson 197-14 ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner. EDGAR S. BURR, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A SERIES OF TYPE-LEVERS FOR A TYPEWRITER; EACH OF SAID TYPE-LEVERS COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY IDENTICAL STRAIGHT TYPE BAR, A MOLDED HEAD ON EACH SAID BAR HAVING A FIRST PORTION AND A SECOND PORTION, AND A SET IN EACH MOLDED HEAD BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND PORTIONS DEFINING VARYING ANGULAR RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND PORTIONS OF DIFFERENT LEVERS TO CORRECTLY POSITION CHARACTERS WHEN STRIKING THE PLATEN OF A TYPEWRITER ACCORDING TO THE PIVOTAL POSITION OF THE TYPE-LEVER IN THE TYPE-LEVER SEGMENT OF A TYPEWRITER. 